[Solved] Outlook Error Code 0x80072f06

Outlook error code 0x80072f06 indicates a problem with Outlook’s Online Address Book (OAB) synchronization. The error is encountered by Outlook users when the email client fails to synchronize the OAB with the Global Address List (GAL) on the Exchange mailbox server.

It may occur due to multiple reasons. Some common reasons are as follows:

• Improper Outlook installation or damaged program files.
• Problem with the Windows operating system.
• Improperly updating .oab file or OAB refuses to download.
• Exchange security certificate issues.

Solutions to Solve Outlook Error 0x80072f06

Below are a few solutions that you may follow to solve the Outlook error code 0x80072f06.

1. Recreate OAB

Since the Outlook error 0x80072f06 is known to occur due to issues with Offline Address Book (OAB) synchronization, you can try fixing the error by deleting the existing OAB from your Outlook profile. This will recreate a new OAB in your profile when you restart Outlook. 

The steps are as follows:

• Close Outlook and navigate to the location where your OAB is stored. By default, Microsoft Outlook stores the OAB at the same location where your Outlook OST file is stored, i.e., %localappdata%/Microsoft/Outlook.

• Back up the Offline Address Book folder to somewhere safe and then delete it from the %localappdata%/Microsoft/Outlook location.
• Once deleted, start the Outlook client and wait for the synchronization to finish.

This will create a new Offline Address Book folder containing all OAB files and resolve the error 0x80072f06.  

2. Verify the Exchange Server Certificate

As mentioned, the issue may also occur due to the Exchange Server certificate. To confirm whether the error 0x80072f06 is caused by the certificate and validate the certificate, follow these steps:

• Open Outlook.
• Hold the CTRL key and then right-click on the Outlook icon in the system tray or notification area.
• Choose Test E-mail AutoConfiguration.

• Enter your email address and password in the required fields and click Test. Make sure Use AutoDiscover is selected.
• You may need to enter your password again when the prompt appears.
• In the output, look for the OAB URL and copy it.

• At this stage, you can ask your administrator to open the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) as administrator on the Exchange Server and run the following command to validate the certificate.
  Get-ExchangeCertificate | Where-Object {$_.Services -match “IIS”} | FL
• Make sure that the certificate assigned to the server is valid and the CertificateDomains are included in the OAB URL.

If there’s a mismatch, ask the administrator to update and fix the issue from the server side to resolve the error 0x80072f06.

3. Restore Windows

Another solution is to restore Windows PC. When you restore, the Windows is brought back to a time when everything was working fine. This can help fix any issues with Windows OS that might be causing the error 0x80072f06.

The steps to restore the PC are as follows:

• Open Settings and go to System > About and click System protection.  
• Click on System Restore and then choose the Recommended restore. You may also Choose a different restore point, if available.

• Click Next > Finish to start the system restore. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the system restoration process.

4. Use OST Converter Tool (Recommended)

Outlook stores all your Exchange mailbox data, such as emails, contacts, attachments, etc. in a local cache called Offline Storage Table or OST. This helps you access your emails even when the system is disconnected from the network. Any changes made are stored locally and synced when the system connects to the server. When there’s an issue with the OST file or it’s inconsistent due to large or oversizing, you may encounter errors, such as 0x80072f06.

If the error isn’t resolved by the solutions above, you can use Stellar Converter for OST to extract all the contacts and save them in a CSV format. Later, you can delete your Outlook profile or reset the PC and configure your email under a new profile in Outlook. Once set up, you can import the CSV to restore your Contacts in the Offline Address Book (OAB).

As an Outlook user or administrator, you can keep the Stellar Converter for OST installed on your system to counter such situations where you encounter Outlook errors or issues related to the OST file. It can help you prevent data loss and restore mail items that didn’t synchronize with the mailbox due to integrity issues or network problems.

5. Reset Windows

If the system restore didn’t work, you can try resetting the PC (not recommended but works). Follow these steps.

• Open Settings and go to Update & Security.
• Click Recovery and then click the Get Started button under the Reset this PC option.

• Follow the instructions and choose the keep my files option before proceeding to avoid data loss.

This will reset the PC and reinstall the Windows but won’t delete or remove your files.

Note: You will need to install Outlook as this will uninstall it. You may also lose access to your original OST file as you set up the account in Outlook after reinstallation. A new OST file is created. Use Stellar Converter for OST to extract and restore the missing mail items from the old orphaned OST file to your new profile.  

Conclusion

OAB synchronization with the GAL is critical to keep the address book or contacts updated across all your devices. If the OAB synchronization is affected, it may lead to the Outlook error code 0x80072f06. If you are encountering this error in Outlook, follow the solutions discussed in this guide to fix it. You may lose your contacts if your local OST file that contains the OAB is damaged. If the error isn’t fixed, it’s recommended that you use an OST to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for OST, to scan and extract mail items, including all the contacts, from your local OST file to PST format as a backup. Once you do that, you can go ahead and recreate the OST file or configure a new profile in Outlook to permanently fix the error code 0x80072f06. This way, you can restore the synchronization without any risk of data loss.

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About The Author

Ravi Singh

Ravi Singh is a Senior Writer at Stellar®. He is an expert Tech Explainer, IoT enthusiast, and a passionate nerd with over 7 years of experience in technical writing. He writes about Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365, Email Migration, Linux, Windows, Mac, DIY Tech, and Smart Home. Ravi spends most of his weekends working with IoT (DIY Smart Home) devices and playing Overwatch. He is also a solo traveler who loves hiking and exploring new trails.